February 01, 2016

Signs of The Times and The Great Tribulation

The
Word of God speaks of a culture where, “Everyone did what was right
in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6b) With a certainty, this is an
attitude that is most pervasive in today's society around the world!
We live in a time where it is vogue to say, “For me this is right.
You also do what seems right to you, but let us not judge each
other!” This is a world that calls itself, “modern.” Yet, it is
a people that has rejected their Creator-God! Listen now to what God
has to say on this matter! For it is written, “There is a way that
seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” (Proverbs
16:25) Indeed, the world has said, “I don't need God! I know better
than God does! I will live as I want to, and don't you dare judge me
for it!” I ask you therefore, are there consequences for the
choices we've made and things we've done that are an offense to our
Creator-God's holiness? Will our Creator-God withhold the judgement
He has spoken of forever? I ask too, do you truly realize the grave
danger that you have put yourself into?

Let us look now at two portions from God's Word. The first says,
“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of
the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being
given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the
flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the
days of Lot – they were eating and drinking, buying and selling,
planting and building, but the day when Lot went out of Sodom, fire
and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all – so will it
be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” (Luke 17:26-30)
Then, secondly, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the
night. While people are saying, 'There is peace and security,' then
suddenly destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a
pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3)

This,
then, is the warning laid out in the Word of God! Clearly, the
warning is that the Great Tribulation will fall upon the people who
belong to this world without any warning signs! Just like a person
driving along a road in their car, enjoying the drive, when suddenly
– CRASH! At that point, it's too late – catastrophe has come
about! As it was with the famous ship, the Titanic, cruising along,
with everyone oblivious to any danger! When, suddenly, what was
thought to be the unsinkable vessel, hit an iceberg and began to
sink! This is the collision course the unsaved people of this world
are on! I ask, are you on this collision course? Are you going to
escape the judgement of God that could fall upon this wicked world at
any moment now?

CONSEQUENCES

No
doubt, the wrath of God will fall upon this world! The question
really is, will you heed God's warnings and seek to be reconciled to
Him, or will you reject Jesus Christ as your Savior? For the
Scriptures say this, “Will [you] escape the judgment of God? Or do
you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and
patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to
repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are
storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's
righteous judgment will be revealed...for those who are self-seeking
and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be
wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every
human being who does evil.” (Romans 2:3-9)

Yet,
for the believer, God says, “To wait for his Son from heaven, whom
he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to
come.” As well as, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to
obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us.”
(1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9) Indeed, for the believer, “There is
therefore now no condemnation.” (Romans 8:1a)

NOT
A HORROR FILM BUT REALITY!

It
is because of the terrifying things that will fall upon all of you
who are not truly Christians that I write to warn you, that you
might, “Flee from the wrath to come,” and be saved! (Luke 3:7b)
For the Scriptures are filled with vivid and horrifying descriptions
of judgement to come shorty! For example, it is described like this,
“It is darkness, and not light, as if a man fled from a lion, and a
bear met him, or went into his house and leaned his hand against the
wall, and a serpent bit him. Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and
not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?” (Amos 5:18-20) In
plain words, there will be no escape from judgement! It is also
written, “For then there will
be great tribulation, such as has not been from the from the
beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those
days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved.”
(Matthew 24:21-22) For it is further described, like this, “For,
behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the
arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming
shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave
them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun
of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go
out leaping like calves from the stall.” (Malachi 4:1-2)

We
find then, that nearly from cover to cover of God's Holy Word are the
warnings of judgement for those who persist in their wickedness,
refusing to acknowledge their sin before their Creator-God! Listen,
then, to this most seriouos warning from the Scriptures, “For if we
go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the
truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful
expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the
adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:26-27) You see, there is a terrible
danger in turning your back to the gospel message! For you will find
no one to rescue you, other than the Savior Jesus Christ!

LAST
DAYS

Hear
this also from God's Word, “But understand this, that in the last
days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers
of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to
parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous,
without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless,
swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” (2
Timothy 3:1-5) Quite obviously, the Word of God is decidedly
accurate! For we see these kinds of attitudes all around us, don't
we? Listen, those so living are in tremendous danger of the judgement
of God falling upon them! Look, the Bible says, “Do not be
deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also
reap.” (Galatians 6:7) Very simply then, those who are wicked, will
reap God's judgement, and those who are righteous, will inherit
eternal life! For it is written, “The wages of sin is death, but
the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 6:23)

Listen,
God says that, “Whatever was written in former days was written for
our instruction.” (Romans 15:4) I plead with you, let us learn from
those in the past! The people in Noah's day did not heed Noah's
warnings, and they were destroyed, except for Noah and his family,
for he was found righteous in the sight of God. So in Lot's day. For
Lot said, “'Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to
destroy the city.' But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.”
(Genesis 19:14) So I ask you, do you also count myself, and those who
proclaim the truth of God's Word to you, even regarding these
judgements, as those who are joking? Then listen to what is written,
“Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last
days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will
say, 'Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers
fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the
beginning of creation.' For they deliberately overlook this fact,
that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of
water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of
these the world that then existed was deluged with water and
perished. But by the same word the heavens and the earth that now
exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment
and destruction of the ungodly.” Then also, “The
Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but
is patient not wishing that any should perish, but that all should
reach repentance. But the day of Lord will come as a thief, and then
the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will
be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done
on it will be exposed.” (2 Peter 3:3-7, 9-10)

IN
THIS LIFE ONLY

Look,
not only is the wrath of God going to be poured out upon those who
refuse God now, but we also read of these, that they, “Will go away
into eternal punishment.” (Matthew 25:46) Further, it says of these
that, “Their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and
sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8b) Some rather
recklessly say that their lives are hopeless, but that is not true.
Rather, in the “lake of fire” all is hopeless! In this place
there will never be any chance of escape or relief! There will be no
further opportunity given. Year, after year, and right through all of
eternity, these people will continue in this place of anguish! I say
therefore, make no mistake, it is in this life only, that we are
given the opportunity to avail ourselves of what Jesus Christ the
Savior has accomplished on our behalf!

DOES
ANY OF THIS DESCRIBE YOU?

So,
what kind of people are in danger of God's judgement? It is written
this way, “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual
immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife,
jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy,
drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned
you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the
kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21) Indeed, the Holy Bible says
that, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) That is
separation from God now and through eternity.

SOMEONE
TOOK YOUR PLACE

However,
amazingly, it is also written that, “The
LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah
53:6) Yes, it is true! Jesus, being God the Son, came to Earth to
receive the penalty that you deserved to take for your own sin! He
came to pay off your sin-debt in full! For it was the only solution
for you. You see, there was no way whatsoever that you could do
anything yourself to erase your sin. For God even says that, “All
our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6) Instead we
read that, “For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.” (**John 3:16)

We
read therefore, “And when they came to the place that is called The
Skull, there they crucified him [Jesus, the Son of God].” (Luke
23:33) “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the
land until the ninth hour [about 12:00 noon to 3:00]. And about the
ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lema
sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'”
(Matthew 27:45-46) See then, that for these three dark hours, the
wrath of God was being poured out upon His own beloved Son as if He
were a sinner! Yes, indeed, it was because of our sin that was heaped
upon Him that God the Father turned away from His own Son! This was
done for you! This, that you might never have to taste the wrath of
God that you deserved for your own sin! You see, Jesus is your
substitute! For it is written, “In this the love of God was made
manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that
we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved
God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation
[satisfaction] for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10) Therefore, just prior
to Jesus giving up His spirit, He cries in triumph, “It is
finished”! Therefore, the Father raised Him to life from among the
dead ones! Why? For Jesus had made full satisfaction for your sins!
We then hear Jesus Himself say, “I am the first and the last, and
the living one. I
died, and behold I am alive forevermore.” (Revelation 1:18) It is
this “living one” who is coming back anytime, “to judge the
living and the dead”! (2 Timothy 4:1)

GOD
OFFERS YOU EVERLASTING LIFE!

So,
how does one avail oneself of this that the Lord has done? The Bible
simply states:

“EVERYONE

who
calls on the name of the Lord

WILL
BE SAVED.”

Romans
10:13

Quite
simply, place your trust in Jesus Christ as the one who alone is able
to save you from sins consequences! He did it all for you! It's a
“free gift”! The Word of God says, “The free gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23b) As well, it
is said of Jesus, “He is able to save to the uttermost
[completely].” (Hebrews 7:25) Without a doubt, this is very good
news!

Listen,
I urge you to trust Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior! Just
admit that you're guilty and can't do anything to help save yourself.
Simply rest in Jesus Christ as the adequate Savior for you! Remember,
“Jesus said...I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Just cry out
for God to save you today! For it is written, “WHOVER comes to me I
will NEVER cast out.” (John 6:37)